"Boy"

Nicole (N.D.) Galland’s novels span the spectrum from historical (The Fool’s Tale, Revenge of the Rose, Crossed, Godiva) to Shakespearean (I, Iago) to contemporary rom-com (Stepdog, On The Same Page) to speculative fiction (New York Times bestselling The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. co-written with Neal Stephenson). She has a MFA in Creative Writing from University College Dublin, and loves teaching workshops on world creation.

She has also worked as a stage director, dramaturg, and X-wing fighter pilot.

Galland applied the Page 69 Test to her new novel, Boy, and reported the following:

Page 69 starts with the tail end of a conversation between the 19-year-old actor Sander Cooke (one of my two protagonists) and his mentor in Shakespeare’s theatre company. The story’s other protagonist is Joan, Sander’s best friend from childhood, who wishes to become a scientist (or natural philosopher, as they were then called). Sander, who’s played nothing but female roles his whole career, is anxious about life and livelihood after his apprenticeship ends in a few months, when he’ll no longer be considered fit for female roles. His mentor, John Heminges, disapproves of Sander’s desire to seek out aristocratic patrons.

“Can you fault me if I do?” demanded Sander. With his fingers he caressed the air, showing off their length and gracefulness. “I am a delight to the eye and the ear. Charming and winsome. An attentive listener. I can speak at length on some few topics – not so many as Joan – and what I speak of is of interest to lords and ladies. I bring with me a whiff of celebrity. ‘Tis the sole capital I have – I’ve no money or jewels or land or brawn, and no other marketable competencies. So please do not begrudge me investing in my future with the qualities I have.”

“Remarkable how a boy with not a penny to his name is so eager to sell himself into England’s most fickle market,” sniffed Hemings. He rose with obvious annoyance and walked back into the tiring house.

The remainder of the page is Sander’s strategizing about which lords to woe for patronage, as he spends a free afternoon roving his London neighborhood, at loose ends, avoiding his many admirers.

The Page 69 Test does a startlingly good job of showing one-half of the story’s dynamic duo. It perfectly summarizes Sander’s personal crisis, appearance, and status in the world. And even though he breaks the “show, don’t tell” rule, it’s appropriate here, because he’s obsessively preoccupied with how to sell himself to others.

And while Joan doesn’t even appear, this brief excerpt still tells us a lot about her: with no other context, we hear of her intelligence and curiosity about the world, in a way that reveals Sander is close to her and respects her; he sees her as his superior in one regard, despite his urgent need to up-talk himself. All of this information is both accurate, and vital to the story. I hadn’t realized I’d crammed all that into a single paragraph! And how remarkable the paragraph happens to be on page 69!

What we learn about them shows us what’s important to each, and in that sense, the excerpt hints at where the plot might go… but in fact, the plot goes to extreme places the reader would not intuit or even guess.

Visit Nicole Galland's website, Facebook page, and Threads page.

Coffee with a Canine: Nicole Galland & Leuco.

The Page 69 Test: Stepdog.

My Book, The Movie: Stepdog.

Writers Read: Nicole Galland (August 2015).

My Book, The Movie: Boy.

--Marshal Zeringue